OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER
Oysters Rockefeller is the perfect way to serve oysters, especially if you are not fond of raw oysters. These are cooked and delicious.
Ingredients:
• 12 oysters
• 4 tblsp butter

• 2 shallots, minced 

• 2 sprigs, chopped parsley 

• salt 
& pepper to taste
• 1 tspn cayenne 

• 4 strips bacon, cooked & minced 

• 1 bunch spinach, puréed 

• 1 cup bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475°F.
Cream the butter with the minced shallots, parsley, salt, cayenne, bacon, spinach and bread crumbs. Season the oysters with salt and pepper, then cover them with the butter mixture.
Place the shells on baking sheets covered with a layer of rock salt. Bake for 10 minutes or until plump. Turn the oven to broil. Place the oysters under the broiler to brown and serve at once. Serve with a wedge of lemon.

LOBSTER RISOTTO
Lobster risotto is a fantastic way to use the meat from the bodies of lobsters, as well as the shells. It is a great second-day dish after you feast on the tails and claws — although this risotto is traditionally done in Sardinia with spiny lobsters, which have no claws. Make the lobster stock ahead or use chicken stock or water. Make sure you use Arborio Rice — and make sure you have some saffron on hand; it really makes the dish

Ingredients:
• 1/2 lb lobster meat
• 2 cups Arborio or Carnaroli (or other short-grain) rice
• 4 tblsp olive oil
• 2 finely chopped shallots
• 2 finely chopped garlic cloves
• 1 tblsp. chopped parsley
• Large pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup white wine (Vermentino would be ideal)
• 1 qt. lobster (or fish or chicken) stock
• Salt

Directions:
Take half the lobster meat and chop it finely.
Crush the saffron into the white wine and stir well.
In a heavy, medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and saute the shallots for 2-3 minutes. Do not let them color.
Add the garlic and the rice and stir well for about a minute. Add the finely chopped lobster meat, about a 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the white wine-saffron mixture and stir to combine. Bring to a boil.
Stirring frequently — about once every 90 seconds or so — let the white wine boil down. Turn the heat to medium and start adding the lobster stock about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring all the while.
Keep cooking until the rice is done, but still a little al dente. You don’t want mushy rice. Add the rest of the lobster meat and the parsley, then check for salt — add some if needed.

HERB-ROASTED CHATEAUBRIAND w/ BRANDIED SHALLOT REDUCTION
Ingredients

• One chateaubriand or other beef tenderloin roast, about 3 pounds
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Brandied Shallot Sauce
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1/2 cup brandy
• 1/2 teaspoon low-sodium beef base, dissolved in 1 cup hot water (see notes below)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
To prepare the roast, remove all of the silver skin with a small sharp knife. If necessary, tie the roast with butcher’s twine to make it an even size. (Your butcher can do all of that for you.) The meat should be at room temperature before cooking.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Rub the mustard all over the meat. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Rub or pat the mixture all over the meat. Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil, then the meat. Sear until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Place in the oven and roast until desired doneness, about 35 minutes for medium-rare, or an internal temperature of 125°. Remove roast from pan and let set about 10 minutes before carving.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Pour off the fat from the skillet. Place over medium-high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the brandy, bring to a boil, stirring to loosen all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan, and reduce slightly. Add the water with the beef base and the thyme. Boil until reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the extra 1 tablespoon of butter and cook, whisking constantly, just until the butter is incorporated. Stir in the fresh parsley. Taste for seasoning. Remove the twine from the roast and slice as desired, but not too thick. Place on individual serving plates and top with some of the sauce. Serve immediately.
Notes: Chateaubriand is a very expensive cut of beef. However, there is no waste. It is the wide end of the tenderloin. When I am feeling extravagant, and the whole tenderloins are on sale, I bring one home and cut into filet mignons and roasts. The tenderloin has very little fat and, therefore, should never be overcooked. If you like meat well-done, another cut would be preferable. One cup low-sodium beef stock or broth can be used in place of the beef base and water. Roasting times will vary depending on the diameter of the meat. To be certain of the doneness, use an instant-read meat thermometer.

CARAMEL PECAN CHOCOLATE FONDUE
Ingredients
o 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
o 2 tablespoons honey
o 9 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
o 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
o 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
o Fresh fruit and shortbread cookies
Directions
In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine cream and honey; heat until warm. Add chocolate; stir until melted. Stir in pecans and vanilla.
Transfer to a warmed fondue pot or a 1-1/2-qt. slow cooker and keep warm. Serve with strawberries, bananas, berries, fresh fruit and cookies.

For me, the advent of spring has always been synonymous with a vegetable garden. My parents being of European rural upbringing, were steadfast believers in growing what you could, eating what you knew. I remember all the hard work involved. From the tilling of the backyard that I left my baby sister and I with very little grass to play on, to the planting of tomato seedlings almost OCD-like neatly in a row. From the stringing up of butcher’s twine along a cordon where the beans were seeded with way too much emphasis on spacing, to the constant attention to watering and weeding. All the time and labours involved made me feel like I was loosing a competition for my parent’s attention to the garden. Yes – it was certainly an important aspect in our family. But when the middle of summer came around, so to did the fruits of those labours. The bounty included tomatoes so ripe that you can smell them before you even cut into them. With beans so green, salad so crisp, onions so sweet and herbs as fragrant as perfume, it was an all out assault on the senses. Suddenly eating a salad made sense as a child. My mother’s minestrone soup had me going back for seconds. There was a definite difference – you could smell it, see it and taste it.
Now that I am older, the undeniable fact remains. Eating healthier means eating closer to home. You cannot get closer than your own backyard. Every year I plant a garden, its somewhat of a tradition, but mostly it makes sense. Its relaxing, its fruitful, its healthy and it tastes good. Like when I was a child, my children notice and appreciate the difference. That’s enough reason for me. If you are still on the fence, here are some other reasons to plant your own garden.
First and foremost, growing your own fresh produce is undeniably green. Industrial food production — how the majority of produce found at our local grocery stores is grown — uses fossil fuels every step of the way. Transporting, processing, and packaging are all fossil fuel laden functions of industrial food production that can be eliminated by growing veggies in your own backyard.
For those of you who lack the room, time, or ambition to grow your own, grab your reusable shopping bag and head on down to the farmer’s market on Wednesdays or Saturday mornings. You can still feel confident you are doing your part top be more green by purchasing locally grown foods as the transportation, processing, and packaging of these products are kept to a bare minimum, or simply just not needed.
Growing your own vegetables is also more economical than buying them at the grocery store. Take an example of buying two jalapeno pepper plants at your local nursery for around $5. These plants will yield roughly 120 peppers during the course of the summer, with just a little tap water, If I were to purchase those 120 peppers at the supermarket, it would cost me upwards of $50. Think of all of the other veggies you and your family eat and imagine the money that could be saved by growing them yourself.
Nothing upsets me more than when I’ve got my heart set on a Greek salad with tomato & Feta, I go to the grocery store and have to settle on a barely ripe, lackluster tasting tomato to satisfy my craving. During the growing season there is no reason why you have to endure this truly traumatic experience. The deep red colour and unmatched sweetness of a garden-grown tomato accents perfectly the saltiness of Feta and the drizzle of an extra virgin olive oil. Same goes for bell peppers, sweet corn, sugar snap peas, and fresh green beans among many other summer favorites. They truly taste better. So … relax, enjoy the sun, knock back a few fresh green beans, and listen to the birds singing all the way to the bank.

Here are a few links to help you along:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/planting-a-vegetable-garden.htm

http://seasonalontariofood.blogspot.ca/2011/02/what-to-grow-in-small-basic-garden.html?m=1

Prep is much simpler than for spare ribs. Remove the outer membrane then you can get on to the marinade, mustard, rubs and mops. One very successful method of cooking baby back ribs is 2-2-1. The times are approximate. Lower weight or higher cooking temperatures will shorten the time required. Two hours at 225ºf to 275ºf with smoke to form a nice crust and get the smoke into the ribs. Two hours in foil to tenderize the ribs. One hour to firm up the crust. Add BBQ sauce at BBQ It’s about the rub. Great BBQ tastes great without sauce. The sauce is the finishing touch.

• Buy pure meat nothing added. Certain percentage of anything added such as brine or salt water is not desirable.
• Remove the first membrane on the back side of ribs. • Apply a BBQ spice “Rub” not more than 2 hours before cooking.
• Use wood smoke. Be very careful with oak and mesquite they can easily overpower pork ribs. You only want thin blue smoke coming from your smoker, not thick white smoke. Cherry is my favorite choice for ribs.
• Cook the meat with INDIRECT heat, not directly over the charcoal or propane burner. • The meat is done when a toothpick goes throw the meat like it was warm butter. Internal Temperature will be 190°f to 200°f .
• Don’t sauce until the ribs are cooked, apply one or two coats of sauce in the last 15 to 30 minutes on the cooker. For a sweeter glaze add some honey to you BBQ sauce. How to BBQ Ribs so they are falling off the bone tender.

The secret of how to barbecue ribs until they are falling of the bone tender is foil. Cook the ribs until they have a nice crust. Wrap in foil with a little apple juice and cook to 200f internal temp. They will be cooked and falling apart tender. If you want to sauce your ribs roll back the foil but leave it under the rack for support, sauce and put back with indirect heat for 15 minutes.

ZORKA’S BLACK BOX BIRTHDAY MENU
June 6, 2012

JUST PICKED STRAWBERRIES & SPRING ASAPARGUS SALAD
Baby Arugula | Pecans | Charlie-Bee Beamsville Honey Dressing | Local Apple Cider Reduction | Truffle Salt

GREEN HOUSE TOMATOES & GARLIC SCAPE PESTO
Mariposa Feta | Red Onion | Olives | Anchovy | Malivoire Rosemary Wine Syrup | Sel Gris

CAVATELLI CARBONARA & POACHED DUCK EGG
Mom’s Pasta Recipe | Dad’s Cantina-Hung Pancetta | Air-Dried Heirloom Tomatoes | Monteforte Farm’s Spring Peas | Cream | Truffle Oil | Toasted Garlic | Grana Padano

KAR-DEAN FARMS RASPBERRIES, BLACKBERRIES & RIESLING SABAYON
Backyard Mint | Hubers Apricot Jam | Vanilla Sugar

WINE | Vineland Estates 2007 Elevation Riesling

COCKTAILS | Vice Martini | Frozen Grape | Vanilla Sugar Snow

Here are just 3 recipes, from A lunch sandwich to a salad to dessert. Strawberries for everyone…

STRAWBERRY TURKEY CLUB PANINI on Rustic Garlic Loaf

Ingredients:
12 oz bacon
1 lb slicked turkey – cut from cold roasted turkey breast
1 oz garlic butter
1 avocado
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup mayo
6 slices rustic Italian Bread
2 cups lettuce (or baby spinach)
1 cup sliced strawberries

Directions:
1. Cook bacon until crispy then drain on paper towels.
2. Using a food processor (or you can do it by hand) puree avocado and lemon juice, then transfer to a bowl and stir in the mayo – Season with salt and pepper.
3. Assemble the sandwich: bread, avocado spread, strawberries, lettuce, chicken, bacon, avocado spread, and lastly another piece of bread. Place in Panini Press and brush with garlic butter and toast.

Yield: 3 sandwiches.

STRAWBERRY VEGETABLE SALAD w/ Truffled Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

This delicious strawberry vegetable salad recipe combines lettuce, fresh veggies and fresh strawberries for a perfect refreshing taste.

Ingredients:
8 oz assorted lettuces, torn into bite size pieces

8 oz fresh spinach, torn into bite size pieces
1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced or chopped
1/2 pint strawberries, halved or sliced if they are larger
1/2 cantaloupe, scooped into balls

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
1. Combine the lettuces, spinach, avocado, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and mushrooms in a large salad bowl.
2. Add the poppy seed dressing just before serving and toss lightly.

Yield: about 10 servings

Dressing:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp grated onion

1/4 tsp truffle salt

Directions:
Place all of the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to mix. Pour over salad when ready to serve.

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE PARFAIT w/ Amaretti Topping

Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries
1 cup farmers cheese or cream cheese (20% fat)

1 lemon
2 eggs
¼ cup sugar
5 leaves elatin

Directions:
1. Squeeze the lemon and keep lemon juice.
2. Separate egg white from the yolk.
Soak the leaf gelatin at least 5 minutes in cold water.
Squeeze out excess water and place in saucepan. 

3. Place two thirds of the strawberries in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add farmers cheese,
lemon juice and sugar and process for 15 more seconds.

4. Melt the gelatin slowly over gentle heat. Once it has melted, add the gelatin carefully to
the strawberry mixture. 5. Put in fridge and wait until the mousse starts to gelatinize.

5. Beat white of egg and gently mix into strawberry mousse. Put the mousse 2-3 hours into fridge. 

6. Then spoon the strawberry mousse into dessert parfait. Layer sliced strawberries between
layers of mousse. Top each dessert with 2 whole strawberries & Amaretti topping.

Yield: 4 servings.

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
6 amaretti cookies, crushed

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour. Spoon over Mousse.

Did you know that most people often over-cook their turkeys by one whole hour? It sounds crazy, but it’s true. It mostly happens because people want to make sure the meat is safe to eat. But your turkey can be both safe to eat and cooked for the perfect amount of time! Nobody wants to eat a dry, over-cooked turkey. Your turkey should give you a list of cooking times; how long you cook it is based on how big the turkey is. Additionally, it matters whether or not your turkey is stuffed. For instance, here’s what Butterball tells us:

• * 10 to 18 lbs.: 3 to 3-1/2 hours, unstuffed; 3-3/4 to 4-1/2 hours, stuffed
• * 18 to 22 lbs.: 3-1/2 to 4 4-1/2 hours, unstuffed; to 4-1/2 to 5 hours, stuffed
• * 22 to 24 lbs.: 4 to 4-1/2 hours, unstuffed; 5 to 5-1/2 hours, stuffed
• * 24 to 30 lbs.: 4-1/2 to 5 hours, unstuffed; 5-1/2 to 6-1/4 hours, stuffed

Cook’s Note: Oven Temperature at 325 degrees F.

You should be checking for doneness about 1/2 an hour before your turkey is supposed to be done. But how do you know if it’s really done? It’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is put a meat thermometer in your turkey before you put it in the oven! If the turkey is stuffed, place the thermometer tip inside the stuffed cavity. If it’s not stuffed, put the tip of the meat thermometer in the thigh muscle just above and beyond the lower part of the thigh bone pointing toward the body. Don’t let it actually hit the bone.
Your turkey will be done when your meat thermometer reads:

• * 80 to 185 degrees F deep in the thigh; also, juices should be clear, not pink when thigh muscle is pierced deeply.
• * 170 to 175 degrees F in the thickest part of the breast, just above the rib bones.
• * 160 to 165 degrees F in the center of the stuffing, if turkey is stuffed.

As long as your thermometer reads these temperatures, your turkey is done. Don’t keep cooking it! You should now have the perfectly-cooked turkey that will have all your happy guest saying, “Mmmm.”

To Brine or Not To Brine – That is the question…
Do yourself a favor, brine, brine brine…It makes a world of difference.

Honey-Orange Brine Recipe

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 lb, or 16 oz honey
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1 1/2 gallons heavily iced water
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 2 oranges

Traditional Brine

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1 1/2 gallons heavily iced water
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon allspice berries
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Herb Brine

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 gallon water
• 1 1/2 gallons heavily iced water
• 1 sweet onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon dried sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Method for All Recipes
1. Add all ingredients except water to a large saucepan. Add 1/2 gallon of the water and bring to a boil. Boil until all ingredients are cooked well, at least 15-20 minutes.

2. Let the mixture cool, and add to a large pot or container, large enough for your bird. Add the heavily iced water, and make sure the mixture is ice cold before adding the bird. Add the bird and brine for 8-24 hours in the refrigerator.

3. After bird has soaked in it’s brine, rinse well under running water to wash off all the salty water. If you don’t do this, the bird will be too salty. Then either grill, smoke, roast or fry your bird…an enjoy!